Ability to intercalate between DNA strands determines cytotoxic or mutagenic activity
of substance. In recent years intercalating activity was also reported for some antimutagenic
substances. The aime of this work was to study interactions with DNA of the antimutagenic
1,4-dihydropyridine – AV-153 and its analogues, aziridin-1-il oximes and metal-modified
derivatives of ftorafur with different biological activities synthesized in Latvian Institute of
Organic Synthesis using spectrophotometric, spectrofluorimetric and gel electrophoresis
analysis methods. Main findings of this work – AV-153 intercaletes between DNA strands.
Furthermore, it also binds to a single strand DNA, but it intercalates between two adjacent CG
base pairs in a DNA duplex. Ftorafur, its derivatives and 5-fluoruracil binds dirrectly to DNA.
Key words: DNA, interaction, intercalation, 1,4-dihydropyridines, ftorafur.